A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of mary lewis wyche, founder and first president of the north carolina nurses association and one of the three nurses appointed to the first north carolina Board of nurse examiners, on the one hundredth anniversary of professional nursing in north carolina.

Whereas, in 1894, Mary Lewis Wyche, native of Vance County and graduate of Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing, founded North Carolina's first school of nursing at Rex Hospital in Raleigh; and
Whereas, on October 24, 1901, Mary Lewis Wyche called together nurses in the Raleigh area and formed the Raleigh Nurses Association; and
Whereas, the following year on October 28, 1902, Mary Lewis Wyche invited nurses from across the State to meet with members of the Raleigh Nurses Association, and together they founded the North Carolina State Nurses Association, now known as the North Carolina Nurses Association; and
Whereas, Mary Lewis Wyche, as president of the North Carolina State Nurses Association, successfully lobbied for the establishment of the first nursing laws in the United States; and
Whereas, the first Nursing Practice Act in the United States was signed into law on March 3, 1903, by Governor Charles Aycock; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Board of Nurse Examiners, now known as the Board of Nursing, became the first board of nursing in the United States; and
Whereas, Josephine Burton of Craven County became the first registered nurse in the United States on June 4, 1903; and
Whereas, Mary Rose Battenhan of Buncombe County registered as a nurse on June 5, 1903; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Nurses Association and the North Carolina Board of Nursing are jointly celebrating their 100th anniversary; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Nurses Association has worked throughout its existence to promote the profession of nursing through strengthening education and practice standards; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Nurses Association advocates both for registered nurses in their workplace and for quality care for their patients; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Board of Nursing ensures safe care to the public through the licensure of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, approval of education programs, and regulation of the scope of nursing practice; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Board of Nursing is the only organization in the United States whose nurses elect the nurse members of the Board; and
Whereas, the North Carolina Nurses Association and the North Carolina Board of Nursing, working together, serve to improve access to quality health care for the citizens of North Carolina; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Mary Lewis Wyche and expresses appreciation for the contributions she made to the State of North Carolina, the North Carolina Nurses Association and the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The General Assembly recognizes the historical accomplishments of the North Carolina Nurses Association, and the North Carolina Board of Nursing and congratulates them on 100 years of dedicated commitment to improving the health of the citizens of North Carolina and to advancing the nursing profession by promoting high standards of nursing education and nursing practice.
SECTION 2.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the North Carolina Nurses Association and the Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 3rd day of April, 2003.

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		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

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		 Richard T. Morgan
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives